Purification

• The primary benefit of shankha prakshalana is that it purifies the body, cleansing the entire elementary canal. In order to understand, it may help to picture a shell. In fact, the word shankha means counch, or seashell, in Sanskrit. Human intestines curve and curl, much like a seashell. If you were pick a shell up from the beach and pour water into one end, you would have to move and rotate the shell in order for the water to make its way out the other end.
  
  

Digestive Cleansing

• Shankha prakshalana employs the same technique by having practitioners drink lukewarm saline water before going through a series of specific moves, called asanas. Performed in exact sequence, these moves are designed to move the saline water through the intestines and out the anus. The theory is that day-to-day stresses restrict the flow of the system, causing auto-toxemia. Auto-toxemia occurs as the body's wastes poison it; it leads to digestive and elimination problems. Those who practice shankha prakshalana believe that these moves help the body perform more efficiently.
  
  

Physical Movement

• In addition to intestinal cleansing, the movements involved in shankha prakshalana exercise the body and relax the mind. There is a series of five asanas performed eight times, each before a practitioner goes to the restroom to empty his bowels. If a bowel movement does not occur, a second round of asanas commences. It can take seven or eight rounds of asanas for the saline water to wend its way through the intestines.
  
  

Mental Relaxation

• Proper preparation for shankha prakshalana can create a relaxing and restful atmosphere, helping alleviate stress. The day should not be too warm or too cool. One should practice soon after the sun rises, ideally in a garden or spot where there is fresh air. If one practices in a group, the group should consist of those he trusts and feels safe around. The idea is to allow your mind to be as relaxed as your body as you cleanse your system.